RICARDO MARTINELLI GOES INTO HIDING

FROM THE - CHRONICLES of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED SA~

~Contributed & Written by Kenneth Rijock ~

Reliable sources in the Republic of Panama have stated that the country's former president, Ricardo Martinelli, was the subject of an unsuccessful kidnapping effort, at his Miami residence, conducted by three Americans. 

The object of the operation was allegedly to return Martinelli to Panama, to face the twelve criminal charges pending against him.

As the result, the source said that Martinelli has gone into hiding, at an undisclosed location. it is important to stress that this information has not been confirmed. 

During the past several months, there has been speculation that he was a target of covert efforts to remove him from the United States, and bring him to Panama. His attorneys have resisted, upon procedural grounds, all government efforts to extradite him.

MARTINELLI'S LAWYERS SEEKS DISMISSIAL OF $44.5m CORRUPTION CHARGE ON PROCEDURAL GROUNDS

The Dream Team answer questions from journalists

Ricardo Martinelli's "Dream Team" of criminal defense lawyers continue in their efforts to delay the cases against their client, by employing procedural defenses, rather than proceeding to trial. In the PAN case, where there are massive allegations of corruption, specifically bribes and kickbacks, They assert that there were Constitutional violations, in connection with the solicitation of bank records, which was accomplished without court order.

A hearing on their defense motions to dismiss has been set for next week. The case in chief is set for trial, against co-defendants, in May. Public anger at the delays in Martinelli's dozen cases continues to increase in Panama City, and some of that has begun to focus upon Martinelli's team of attorneys, who are certainly not camera-shy, when speaking to the media in Panama. 

They have been holding what amounts to daily press conferences, to brief the media about what they claim is unfair treatment of their client.

The illegal surveillance case, whereby over 150 prominent Panamanians were subject to video surveillance, telephone and Internet taps, has generated the most public attention. There has been no effort, on behalf of his counsel, to bring in their client for the mandatory personal court appearances that are required under Panamanian law. Will Martinelli ever appear for trial ?

RICARDO MARTINELLI BLACKMAILS PANAMA

FROM THE - CHRONICLES of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED SA~

~Contributed & Written by Kenneth Rijock ~

If you were wondering why the Government of Panama, having judicially determined some time ago that it is appropriate to extradite its former president, Ricardo Martinelli, has not followed through with the issuance of the appropriate documents, you are not alone. The answer may disturb you, but it is consistent with the country's problem: the systemic corruption, past, present & future, that Panama is drowning in.

You see, many of the members of the present, reformist government, now in power, were also either in the Martinelli administration, were linked to it, and the vast majority of the senior staff, including the sitting President, Juan Carlos Varela, also profited substantially from the use of inside information, in connection with the Petaquilla Gold Mine scandal. It's not just the Martinelli cabinet that made millions of illegal profits.

 How can the Varela government allow Martinelli to be extradited, for he has promised, if put on trial, to expose all those who are as equally guilty as he is, in taking illegal stock profits, through trading with the benefit of non-public information, in the Petaquilla Mining/Financial Pacific matter. Whether this constitutes blackmail I leave to the experts in the laws of Panama.

One source has asserted that this threat was delivered by no less than Martinelli's primary criminal defense lawyer, Leonardo Paul Aparicio, who has actively sought to quash the pending proceedings, twice, through the use of procedural objections, which most lawyers would opine were presented solely for the purposes of delay. Attorney Paul has regularly visited Martinelli, at his Miami residence, and he is thought to be the lead member of the so-called Dream Team, assembled to block all efforts to return their client to stand trial in Panama.

Leonardo Paul Aparicio

If Martinelli has evidence that shows Varela, and his senior advisers, profited handsomely from insider trading, he may never be extradited, and all the talk of reform in Panama will not result in any meaningful systemic changes, and Ricardo Martinelli will cheat justice.